Apparatus for spinning non-continuous fibers in a rotary bowl

ABSTRACT

A work component of solid material such as a disc having a shape of revolution and of small height compared with its diameter is placed within a rotary bowl for spinning free fibers and permitted to rotate freely about its axis of revolution by frictional contact with the internal wall of the rotating bowl. The fibers are gathered together more effectively by means of the disc which has the further design function of packing and smoothing the yarn as it is being formed while also incorporating any impurities therein.

United States Patent Le Chatelier APPARATUS FOR SPINNING NON-CONTINUOUS FIBERS IN A ROTARY BOWL Inventor: Tacques [Ye Cliiitelier, Riedislieim,

France Societe Alsacienne de Constructions Mecaniques de Mulhouse, Mulhouse, France Filed: June 20, 1973 Appl. No.: 371,871

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data June 23, 1972 France 72.22724 US. Cl. 57/58.89 Int. Cl

D0lh 1/12 Field ofsearfi .5 773839-3895 Mar. 26, 1974 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,328,949 7/1967 Pavek et al. 57/58.89 3,339,359 9/1967 Ripka et al. 57/58.89 3,115,001 12/1963 Cizek et a1 57/589] Primary ExaminerDonald E. Watkins Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Holman & Stern [5 7] ABSTRACT A work component of solid material such as a disc having a shape of revolution and of small height compared with its diameter is placed within a rotary bowl for spinning free fibers and permitted to rotate freely about its axis of revolution by frictional contact with the internal wall of the rotating bowl. The fibers are gathered together more effectively by means of the disc which has the further design function of packing and smoothing the yarn as it is being formed while also incorporating any impurities therein.

16 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PArENTiumzs 1914 3798' 887 sum 2 [IF 3 QATENTED MR 2 6 I974 SHEET 3 [IF 3 APPARATUS FOR SPINNING NON-CONTINUOUS FIBERS IN A ROTARY BOWL This invention relates to rotary bowl devices for spinning free fibers. The usual objection to the yarns obtained by means of devices of this type is that they have lower strength than the yarns which are produced on spinning frames equipped with traveler rings and are often defective in appearance.

The aim of the invention is to improve the devices aforesaid with a view to circumventing the disadvantages just mentioned.

To this end and in accordance with the invention, the device is provided within the bowl with a work component adapted to pack and smooth the portion of yarn undergoing formation and also to grind impurities at the same time.

By virtue of the presence of said work component, the fibers are gathered together by the yarn more completely and more effectively as this latter is being formed. By applying the portion of yarn undergoing formation against the bottom of the bowl, said work component presses the fibers against each other a scraping and smoothing action is thus produced on the yarn by bringing back the ruffled fibers against this latter. The yarn finally obtained is rounder and smoother than when it is formed without the aid of said work component it has a higher degree of pilosity, higher resistance to fraying and no longer has the defects of appearance which were found objectionable in yarns manufactured in conventional devices. Moreover, the impurities contained in the fibers introduced into the bowl are ground by said work component and finally included within the twisted yarn, with the result that they do not remain in the bowl and are not liable to cause progressive clogging of this latter.

In one advantageous embodiment in which the peripheral edge portion of the bottom of the bowl is raised, the work component is constituted by a free circular disc having a diameter comprised between the maximum internal diameter of the bowl and the diameter of the central portion of the bottom of said bowl as limited by said raised edge portion.

A clearer understanding of the invention will be gained from the following description and from a study of the accompanying drawings in which a few embodiments of the improved spinning device according to the invention are shown by way of example but not in any limiting sense, and in which FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a first embodiment FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the position of the work component in the form of a circular disc inside the bow] FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an alternative shape of the disc FIGS. 4 to 8 are sectional views illustrating alternative forms of the device shown in FIG. 1

FIG. 9 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 8.

The device for spinning free fibers which is shown in FIG. 1 comprises in known manner a bowl 1 rotatably mounted by means of two ball-bearings 2, 3 on a stationary tubular shaft 4. A liftable cover 6 is mounted above the bowl 1 but not in contact therewith and a guiding nipple 7 is fixed at the center of the cover. Said guiding nipple extends partially into the interior of the bowl and is pierced by a duct 8 through which the free fibers 9 derived from a supply system (not shown in the drawings) are conveyed into the interior of the rotary bowl 1.

The bowl 1 is driven in rotation. by any suitable means such as a belt 13, for example, The tubular shaft 4 is carried by a support 14 on which is fixed an upper annular member 15 fitted with a seal 16 against which is applied the edge of the upper anular member or cover 6.

As it passes out of the tubular shaft 4, the formed yarn 19 is drawn by a pair of take-up rollers 21, 22 which are driven in rotation by any suitable means (not shown in the drawings).

In accordance with the invention, there is placed within the interior of the bowl 1 a work component which is constituted in this example by a flat circular disc 25. In the embodiment shown, the peripheral edge portion 26 of the bottom of the bowl 1 is raised and the circular disc 25 which rests freely on the bottom of said bowl has a diameter comprised between the maximum internal diameter of the bowl as designated by D and the diameter d of the central portion of the bottom of the bowl as limited by said raised edge portion 26.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The interior of the annular cover 6 is connected to a reduced-pressure source so as to cause admission of air into the upper duct 8 of the guiding nipple 7 and into the stationary tubular shaft 4. The free fibers which are impelled into the interior of the bowl are collected by the portion of yarn undergoing formation and the yarn 19 thus obtained is drawn continuously by the take-up system 21, 22. The work disc 25 which is free is subjected to the aerodynamic action of the air layers attached to the walls of the bowl. As a consequence, driving forces resulting from the friction of said air layers are developed at points such as A, B, C (as shown in FIG. 2) whereas the relative velocities between the bowl and the disc are of low value at I, with the result that the corresponding forces are negligible. As a consequence, the disc has a tendency to rotate in rolling motion on the bottom of the bowl about the instantaneous center of rotation I in the direction of the arrows, in the bottom of the recess formed by the equatorial portion of maximum diameter D of the bowl 1 the disc therefore revolves about its own axis while traveling within the bowl in circular motion at a velocity which is lower than the speed of rotation of said bowl.

The edge of the work disc 25 which is applied against the portion of yarn being formed produces a packing and smoothing action by scraping the fibers collected by the yarn and consequently by giving this latter a round and smooth configuration. The yarn thus obtained has a very low degree of pilosity, high resistance to fraying and distinctly higher tensile strength than yarns obtained in similar rotarybowl devices in which provision is not made within the bowl for a work component such as the disc 25.

Furthermore, in the embodiment which is illustrated, the free fibers 9 are introduced into the bowl 1 from the top end or in other words above the disc 25 whilst the formed yarn 19 is delivered through the pierced central base of the bowl, that is to say beneath the disc. The disc therefore constitutes a partition-wall between the zone of entry of the fibers into the bowl and that zone of the bowl in which the yarn is formed prior to delivery. Moreover, the impurities which could be present in the fibers introduced into the bowl are ground by the edge of the disc 25 and incorporated in the yarn, with the result that they are not liable to cause progressive clogging of the bowl 1.

It can be considered that the disc 25 is in a substantially floating state of suspension inside the bowl between the two air streams which penetrate into the bowl respectively through the upper duct 8 and through the lower tubular shaft 4.

The conditions of bouyancy of the disc 25 within the bowl can be modified, for example by forming holes such as those designated by the reference 27, the general arrangement of the system in regard to airflow paths being also modified if necessary.

In the alternative design shown in FIG. 3, the circular disc 25 has a different shape in that the edge portion of its bottom face which cooperates with the bottom of the bowlis provided with an annular rib 29.

FIG. 4 shows the main portion of another embodiment of a spinning device comprising a rotary bowl 1 in which the free fibers 9 are impelled into the bowl 1 through an oblique duct 31 formed in the guiding nipple 7 and pass into the bowl in a substantially tangential direction whilst the formed yarn 19 is delivered upwards through the axial duct 8 of said guiding nipple. In this embodiment, the yarn delivery is therefore on the same side as the admission of fibers with respect to the bowl 1 and with respect to the work disc 25. In this case, said disc no longer constitutes a partition-wall between the zone of admission of fibers into the bowl and that zone of the bowl in which the yarn is formed prior to delivery nevertheless, the disc continues to subject the fibers to a packing and smoothing action in the portion of yarn which is undergoing formation since the collection of fibers takes place against the bottom of the bowl and, initially, against the lower edge of the disc 25.

In FIG. 5, there is shown an alternative form of construction which differs from the embodiment of FIG. 4 only in that the portion 19 of yarn being formed passes beneath the disc 25 and through a central hole 35 of the disc before passing into the delivery duct 8. In order that the yarn should not interfere with the movements of the disc, a yarn guide 37 is provided at the lower end of the nipple 7, the bottom end of said guide being located at a level which is slightly lower than the disc. The hole 35 of the disc is sufficiently large to ensure that the edge'of said hole cannot comeinto contact with the yarn guide 37. In this embodiment, the disc 25 forms a partition-wall which provides an effective separation between the zone of admission of fibers into the bowl and that zone of the bowl in which the yarn is formed prior to delivery.

There is illustrated in FIG. 6 another alternative embodiment in which the bowl is no longer rotatably mounted on a stationary shaft but has a cylindrical tailpiece 41 mounted by means of the two bearings 2 and 3 for rotation in a stationary support 42.

FIG. 7 shows a further alternative embodiment in which the disc 25 is designed substantially in the shape of an inverted saucer. This design solution provides a better passage for the yarn, endows the disc with a higher degree of rigidity and makes it possible to locate the center of gravity of the disc beneath the equatorial plane of the bowl, that is to say the plane of that portion of said disc which is of maximum internal diameter. The action of centrifugal force F on the disc is combined with the reaction of the bottom of the bowl which has an angle of slope a.

There is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 yet another alternative embodiment which essentially differs from the embodiment of FIG. 1 in that, by way of example, the free fibers are introduced into the bowl 1 in a substantially tangential direction through the stationary oblique duct 51 of the guiding nipple 7. A further essential difference lies in the fact that the circular disc 25 is rotatably mounted on an axis materialized by a pivot-pin fixed on the end of a small crank-arm 53 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 54 carried by the guiding nipple 7 and rigidly fixed to a rod 55, said rod being subjected to the action of a restoring spring 56 which tends to apply the edge of the disc 25 against the internal wall of the bowl 6 in the widest portion of this latter.

This assembly makes it possible to set the value of the pressure applied by the disc 25 against the wall of the bowl and also to center the disc approximately with respect to the bowl at the time of opening and closure of the device.

It must be clearly understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings and that, depending on the applications which are contemplated, modifications can be made in said embodiments without thereby departing either from the scope or the spirit of the invention.

For example, it is thus possible to combine in any suitable manner the various characteristic features of the device such as a bowl rotatably mounted on a stationary shaft, a bowl rigidly fixed to a rotatable shaft, a hollow rotary bowl shaft, solid rotary bowl shaft, holes for the passage of air through the bottom of the bowl, and the cross-sectional configuration of the disc.

A number of widely different materials are open to selection for the fabrication of the disc and, more generally, of the work component irrespective of its configuration. Said materials are selected so as to ensure that they do not score the wall of the bowl. The synthesis polymers can be mentioned by way of example.

A disc of the type aforementioned and more generally a work component placed within the interior of the bowl can have one or a number of the following functions separation of the entering fibers from the finished yarn packing of the fibers which have collected in a ring within the bowl before these latter are gathered together grinding of any impurities which may be present between the groove of the bowl and the work component smoothing of the finished yarn at the moment of formation.

It is readily apparent that the device according to the invention applies both to bowls having a vertical axis of rotation and to bowls which have a horizontal or oblique axis of rotation.

I claim:

1. A device for spinning non-continuous fibers in a rotary bowl wherein said device is provided within the interior of the bowl with at least one work component constituted by a solid body of revolution of small height with respect to its diameter and applied against the wall of the bowl while being freely driven in rotation about its axis of revolution by frictional contact with said wall when said bowl is in rotational motion.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the work component is formed of at least semi-rigid material which is indestructible under normal conditions of operation.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the work component is free within the bowl, and wherein said component is frictionally driven in rotation about its axis while said axis travels at the same time in circular motion about the axis of rotation of the bowl.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said device comprises means for immobilizing the axis of the work component within the bowl, whereby said work component is left free to rotate frictionally about its axis.

5. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein the work component is a ring.

6. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein the work component consists of a circular disc.

7. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the work component forms a rotary partition-wall which separates the zone of admission of fibers into the bowl from the zone in which the yarn is formed prior to delivery.

8. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the fibers are introduced into a zone of the bowl which is located on one side of the disc whilst the yarn is'delivered from the bowl on the other side of said disc.

9. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the fibers are introduced into a zone of the bowl which is located on one side of the disc whilst the yarn is formed on the opposite side of said disc and passes through a central hole of said disc for subsequent delivery from the bowl on the same side as that on which the fibers are introduced into said bowl.

10. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein that portion of the bottom of the bowl which is continuously covered by the disc is provided with drilled holes.

11. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the disc has the shape of an inverted saucer.

12. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the disc has an annular rib on the edge portion of that face which is directed towards the bottom of the bowl.

13. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the work component rotates about an axis which is inclined with respect to the axis of the bowl.

14. A device as defined in claim 5 in which the peripheral edge portion of the bottom of the bowl is raised, wherein the work component is free and has a diameter comprised between the maximum internal diameter of the bow] and the diameter of the central portion of the bottom of the bowl as limited by said raised edge portion.

15. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the work component is formed of synthesis polymer material.

16. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the work component has a larger diameter than the maximum internal radius of the bowl. 

1. A device for spinning non-continuous fibers in a rotary bowl wherein said device is provided within the interior of the bowl with at least one work component constituted by a solid body of revolution of small height with respect to its diameter and applied against the wall of the bowl while being freely driven in rotation about its axis of revolution by frictional contact with said wall when said bowl is in rotational motion.
 2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the work component is formed of at least semi-rigid material which is indestructible under normal conditions of operation.
 3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the work component is free within the bowl, and wherein said component is frictionally driven in rotation about its axis while said axis travels at the same time in circular motion about the axis of rotation of the bowl.
 4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said device comprises means for immobilizing the axis of the work component within the bowl, whereby said work component is left free to rotate frictionally about its axis.
 5. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein the work component is a ring.
 6. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein the work component consists of a circular disc.
 7. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the work component forms a rotary partition-wall which separates the zone of admission of fibers into the bowl from the zone in which the yarn is formed prior to delivery.
 8. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the fibers are introduced into a zone of the bowl which is located on one side of the disc whilst the yarn is delivered from the bowl on the other side of said disc.
 9. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the fibers are introduced into a zone of the bowl which is located on one side of the disc whilst the yarn is formed on the opposite side of said disc and passes through a central hole of said disc for subsequent delivery from the bowl on the same side as that on which the fibers are introduced into said bowl.
 10. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein that portion of the bottom of the bowl which is continuously covered by the disc is provided with drilled holes.
 11. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the disc has the shape of an inverted saucer.
 12. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the disc has an annular rib on the edge portion of that face which is directed towards the bottom of the bowl.
 13. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the work component rotates about an axis which is inclined with respect to the axis of the bowl.
 14. A device as defined in claim 5 in which the peripheral edge portion of the bottom of the bowl is raised, wherein the work component is free and has a diameter comprised between the maximum internal diameter of the bowl and the diameter of the central portion of the bottom of the bowl as limited by said raised edge portion.
 15. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the work component is formed of synthesis polymer material.
 16. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the work component has a larger diameter than the maximum internal radius of the bowl. 